


Would You Be an Outlaw for My Love?

by slimothy



Series: Oh Heart [1]
Category: Bill & Ted (Movies)
Genre: Flirty Bill, Kissing, M/M, Yee Haw, hes called SHERIFF logan in this fic, old west au
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-30
Updated: 2021-01-30
Packaged: 2021-03-16 09:20:25
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,839
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29079996
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/slimothy/pseuds/slimothy
Summary: One of Ted's worst fears is running into an outlaw. Then one steals his heart.
Relationships: Ted "Theodore" Logan/Bill S. Preston Esq.
Series: Oh Heart [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2133540
Comments: 6
Kudos: 32





	Would You Be an Outlaw for My Love?

**Author's Note:**

> Title from [Thirteen - Big Star](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pte3Jg-2Ax4)

"Billy the Kid's got a new partner in crime." 

"Doubtful. That man is a lone coyote." 

"He'll probably kill 'em." 

That was the conversation floating between three men outside of the General Store. Ted hid around the corner to eavesdrop instead of going in to pick up the food his dad requested. He would harp at him for taking so long, but that was a problem for future Ted. No one ever bothered to share any town gossip with him, so he was limited to what he could pick up from hiding out of view and listening. 

Hearing the name Billy the Kid sent a shiver down his spine. The outlaw had gained a lot of attention from being frequently written about in the newspaper with stories of epic shootouts and daring escapes. Everyone around knew his name despite him never actually making his way into _their_ town. Ted hoped he never did show up. Billy the Kid was dangerous.

“Heard it was just a kid. You think he’d kill a kid?” 

“He _is_ a kid, muttonhead.” 

“Don’t insult me, you -” 

Ted could sense a scuffle about to start, so he left his little hiding spot and went into the store. Mr. Haywood was standing behind the counter, talking to another man who immediately shut up and left when Ted came in. 

The musty smell of the shop filled Ted’s nose as he searched the shelves for what he had to buy. He looked down at the list his dad gave him, but he wasn’t the best reader. 

“What do you need, Theodore?” Mr. Haywood asked as the door swung shut with the exit of whoever he had been talking to. 

“Just this,” Ted handed the list over as Mr. Haywood left his spot behind the counter. At some point he must have decided it was easier to get the things Ted needed rather than witness him bumble around, as he always ended up grabbing everything himself while Ted waited at the counter. 

“Do you think Billy the Kid would ever come here?” Ted always made conversation with Mr. Haywood, hating the stuffy silence that filled the air. 

Mr. Haywood only gave a huff in response.

“Do you think he really has a partner?” 

Mr. Haywood rolled his eyes as he returned to the counter. Ted’s dad had apparently written down flour, bread, cheese, and tobacco. 

“Sixty-two cents,” Mr. Haywood’s voice was gruff. 

Ted dug the change out of his pocket and handed it all to Mr. Haywood, who counted it out and handed a few coins back. Ted wasn’t so good at counting either. 

He bagged the items and Ted said thanks as he left. 

The man who was previously inside was speaking in hushed tones to the three men who were talking about Billy the Kid earlier. Their eyes trailed Ted as walked away, and he hung his head low as if it would make him invisible. People were always looking at him funny and he never really knew why. He only knew that he didn’t like it. 

When he got home, he put the groceries on the table and looked to see if his dad and brother were home. They weren’t, and he went to his room to practice his guitar. His dad wasn’t a fan and didn’t let him play when he was around. Sure, Ted wasn’t the best at it, but he still liked it and practice makes perfect. 

He got lost when he strummed on the strings. It made him forget about the world, let him exist in a place where it was only him and his music. He wasn’t a disappointment when he played, wasn’t the weird guy, he was just himself. 

Getting lost in the music also meant not hearing his dad come home. 

“What did I say about playing that goddamn guitar, Theodore?” his dad ripped it out of Ted’s hands, sending him straight back into reality. 

“Sorry, sir,” Ted said. His dad leaned the guitar against the wall.

The instrument had been a gift from Ted’s mom, and his dad hadn’t approved even then, but she convinced him it would be good for Ted. She was teaching him how to play but passed away only a few months later, so he remained at a standstill with the guitar, and his dad kept it around only for the memory of his late wife.

“Dinner is ready,” his dad said. 

Dinner was always supposed to be silent. That’s how Ted’s dad liked it. But Deacon always had a story to tell about what he got up to that day and Ted always had something to say, so it was the only thing at home that wasn’t how Sheriff Logan wanted it to be. 

After Deacon’s story about how he and some friends dared each other to eat sand, and a lecture from their dad about how you shouldn’t do stupid things because of a dare, Ted asked the question that had been boggling around in his head since his trip to the store. 

“Is Billy the Kid ever going to come here?” Ted’s dad was the town sheriff, so if anyone would know, it would be him. 

His dad rolled his eyes.

"If he did you'd get him, right dad?" Deacon asked. 

Sheriff Logan nodded. 

"I heard he has a partner," Ted hoped his dad would clear up if that was true or not, though he really would have no way of knowing. 

"I heard he escaped prison fifteen times," Deacon said before their dad could say anything. 

"Can someone really do that?" Ted always assumed prison was inescapable. Wasn't that the whole point? 

"Yeah!" Deacon leaned forward. "And he shot all the guards!" 

"Really?" This guy sounded scarier with every new piece of information. 

"Then he burned down every town who kept him imprisoned!" 

"Actually?" 

"Yeah!" 

Sheriff Logan slammed his hands down on the table. "Shut up!" He pointed a finger at Deacon. "Billy the Kid is an outlaw who hasn't done anything more than commit a few cowardly robberies. Once he gets locked up, he'll be gone for good." Then a finger at Ted. "Stop being so gullible. Billy the Kid isn't coming here, and I'm tired of having a dunce as a son." 

Ted and Deacon kept silent for the rest of dinner. Afterward, Ted laid in bed and stared at the ceiling while he waited for sleep, listening to the crickets outside. 

Billy the Kid floated around in his thoughts, along with questions about who his partner could be. Did he kidnap them? Was he going to betray them? Or were they both sadistic criminals who enjoyed each other’s sick company? Ted couldn’t help the fear that prickled on his skin at the thought of the outlaw and his mystery companion. 

Ted was right outside of town, seeing how far he could throw rocks. He didn’t do a whole lot in his free time since he didn’t have friends to hang out with and nothing at home to do. 

The sound of horses made him turn, where he saw two men park a carriage with two horses and make their way into town. Ted was intrigued. Sand Dune was a town seldom visited, usually only by travelers looking for a place to stay for a night or two. Ted stopped himself from overthinking it. They would probably have no effect on Ted's life. Whoever they were, they'll most likely stay for a few days and leave without one glance in his direction. 

Ted stayed out for a while longer, feeling no rush to get anywhere, and when he finally went back the town looked deserted. Only Ms. Olsun was out, sitting in her rocking chair on her porch, but when Ted asked her what was going on she told him to scatter before he made things worse. 

Maybe it would be best for him to go home, but Ted wandered around to find anyone else. He went in the direction of the prison since his dad could probably answer, even if he didn’t like it when Ted showed up unannounced at his work. 

It was on his way past the bar that he saw another person. He must have been one of the newcomers as Ted had never seen him before. 

He was sitting on the ground against the wall of the bar, knees up to his chest. He looked up at Ted, and the corner of his mouth went up in a greeting. He slid up against the wall to stand as Ted walked over. 

The tips of Ted's ears were going red, as were his cheeks, because he couldn't help but to inwardly admire this mystery guy's body. 

“I'm Bill," he said.

"Ted." 

"A most excellent turn of events to meet you, Ted." 

Ted eagerly nodded. “What are you doing in town?” 

Bill’s smile showed his teeth. “Business.” 

Ted cocked his head to the side. There wasn’t much business to be done in Sand Dune. 

“Can I buy you a drink?” Bill asked before Ted could ask about what kind of business. 

“Oh, uh,” Ted wasn’t used to anyone wanting to treat him. “Sure.” 

Bill smiled and Ted’s heart did a little flip. 

They walked into the bar, and it was certainly tenser inside than usual. There were four men seated around a table playing poker, one of them was the other newcomer, and the few other people were scattered in seating across the bar, trying not to look so obviously at the poker players. Usually the bar was full of life, and Ted got an eerie feeling. 

Bill gave a glance at the poker table before putting up two fingers at the bartender, who gave a nervous-looking nod before handing Bill and Ted their drinks. He didn’t charge, which was odd, and Ted’s feeling was starting to get worse. 

Bill, like everyone else, was sneaking glances at the poker table. Ted didn’t understand the fuss. Poker was a common game. 

After a few sips of his beer, Bill turned to Ted. "You live in town, right?" 

Ted nodded. "Never been outside of here." 

"Really?" Bill took another drink. "Would you ever wanna leave?" He checked Ted out again, like he was thinking of asking him to come with him when he leaves. The idea sent a little thrill through Ted, but he told himself to stop daydreaming. It was a simple question with no deeper meaning behind it.

"I guess," he answered a little bashfully. 

Bill gave him a nod with another of those cute smiles. He tilted his head at Ted’s untouched beer. “Not a fan?” 

"Not really." Ted felt bad all of a sudden. His dad had tried to get him to drink beer, to be a real man, but he hated the taste and was apparently a bad lightweight, so him and his dad actually agreed on something. That something being that Ted would never drink again. He didn’t want to tell Bill all that, though, his stories tended to chase people off. 

“You should have said something,” Bill said kindly. “I could have given you a smoke, or is there something else you want?" 

Ted had honestly gotten so caught up in someone wanting to give him something that he never processed that he wouldn’t be drinking the beer. He was still caught up in the whole idea that Bill wants to give him something, and not just anything but something that Ted would specifically like. 

"I don't need anything," Ted said. "I'm fine just talking." 

Bill squinted his eyes at him. "You sure? I wanna treat the cutest guy in town." 

Ted was really starting to blush. There was no denying it then that Bill was flirting with him. He was going to offer to show Bill around, but accusations of cheating erupted from the poker table. 

"Uh oh," Bill muttered. 

The yelling was getting more intense, and the bartender hovered with his back turned instead of trying to stop it. 

A man sitting on one of the tables returned his half-drunk glass to the counter and whispered something to the bartender that Ted couldn’t make out. He walked out with a shake of his head. 

Three of the men stood up at the table, surrounding the guy Bill came into town with, with angry faces. Bill kept his head turned away from Ted, focused on the table, and sipped on his beer. 

“Is the guy you came with going to be okay?” Ted asked. 

Bill swung back around. “Oh, he’ll be fine. I just hope we don’t have to leave so soon.” 

“I hope you get to stay, too,” Ted really did. There was something different about Bill. A kindness in his blue-gray eyes he hadn’t seen in anyone else before.

Bill looked like he was going to say something else flirty, but Sheriff Logan burst into the bar with the doors swinging behind him. Bill muttered a curse under his breath. Ted tried to swivel around in an attempt to remain unnoticed, but it was to no avail. 

“Theodore?” Sheriff Logan was red in the face, clearly already sick of dealing with other things, and every word he said came out louder than the previous one. “What are you doing? _GET HOME_!” 

Ted whispered out a yes sir, but it wasn’t heard by Bill’s upfront, “ _Hey_!” 

“Excuse me?” Sheriff Logan took a step forward. 

Bill got off the stool and stood straight against Sheriff Logan’s death stare. “You heard me,” he said. Ted couldn’t help the admiration that flooded through him. No one had ever _defended_ him before. He felt safer behind Bill, like the boy was a shield against all the bad things in the world. 

Sheriff Logan opened his mouth to say something, but he was interrupted. 

“Leave the kids alone,” a voice said from the poker table. Bill’s friend. He stood up slowly, like a cobra raising itself from the ground. “They ain’t hurtin’ nobody.” 

“Don’t tell me how to talk to my son,” Sheriff Logan finally took his attention away from Ted. Bill looked at Ted in disbelief, like he couldn’t believe Ted was his son, and Ted couldn’t either most days. Sheriff Logan pointed a finger at the man Ted still didn’t know the name of. “I should be taking you in.” 

The man raised his hands innocently, but he spoke in a warning tone. “I’m just here to play some poker. There don’t need to be any trouble.” 

“If you step even an inch out of line,” Sheriff Logan warned. “You’re done." Despite Sheriff Logan's general bitterness, it was unusual for him to be so tight on visitors. He tended to give them a warning and let them be, and the divergence from this routine made Ted really feel like he was missing something. 

There was something even more unusual. It was the way Sheriff Logan’s hand looked like it was shaking, just a little, and Ted told himself he had to be seeing things because no one ever made his dad _shake_. 

“Why don’t you walk Theodore home, Bill?” Bill's friend said with a wink, and Sheriff Logan scowled as Bill walked by to hold the door open for Ted. 

Ted was definitely going to get yelled at later, but he took the opportunity to spend more time with Bill and walked out, not looking at his dad as he did so. Ted purposefully led Bill the long way to his house. His dad wouldn't be home for a few more hours, maybe he could invite Bill in. 

“So that’s your dad, huh?” Bill asked. 

“Yeah,” Ted scuffed the sand. “Sorry ‘bout him.” 

Bill stopped and faced Ted, taking a few seconds to study his face before he raised a hand to brush through Ted’s hair gently, and then brought it slowly down his face. Ted wondered if he could feel how hot his face was getting. “How did something so sweet come from something so sour?” 

Ted could have lost it right then, collapsed into Bill’s arms and hoped he never let go, because Bill had managed to be the first person to ever make Ted feel seen. After years of feeling inferior and weak, and now here was someone who didn't think he was either. 

“Hey, you okay?” Bill’s voice gently tugged Ted out of his thoughts. 

Ted gave a sheepish smile and nod, which Bill returned as he brought his hand back down to his side. 

They talked while they made their way to Ted’s house, spending a lot of time on a friendly debate about whether snakes were cooler than lizards (lizards were so much better, in Ted’s opinion, at least they had _legs_ ). When they got to his house, Ted was going to ask Bill if he wanted to come in, but he could see Deacon through the window and thought it was best to not get his little brother involved in whatever Ted was getting into with Bill. He was a tattletale and would tell their dad every little detail about Bill's visit. Which meant he was stuck having to part from the guy he wanted to keep talking to until his throat got sore. 

“I should probably get back to the bar,” Bill said after neither wanted to start the goodbye. “But why don’t I come by later? You, me, and Billy could hang out around the fire.” 

Ted’s excitement at seeing Bill again was dampened by his friend’s name. _Billy_. Things were finally coming together in Ted’s head. The empty town, tense bar, his dad’s anger and fear. Bill had come with _Billy the Kid_. One of the most dangerous outlaws, the one that had been the subject of Ted’s nightmares, was here in his town and the rumors were true, he _did_ have a partner. And Ted has been swooning over him ever since they laid eyes on each other. 

Ted started inching towards his house, trying to process this new information. “Uhm, I don’t know, maybe,” he fully turned then and hurriedly went into his house. He ignored Deacon’s questions and stole a glance out the window. Bill was still standing outside, scratching at the back of his head before slowly walking away. 

Ted watched as Bill shoved his hands in his pockets, and he wondered what he would do back at the bar. Was he going to help Billy the Kid cheat at poker? Rob someone? Would there be a _shootout_? 

Deacon was now pulling on Ted’s shirt, asking the same questions over and over. “Who was that? Is it true Billy the Kid is here? Dad told me the visitors are dangerous. Was the guy you were with dangerous?” 

_Dangerous_. The thing was, Bill never seemed dangerous. He was kind and treated Ted nicely, even defended him in the bar. Hell, Billy the Kid stood up for him. That was something no one in town had ever done for Ted before, not even when his dad was at his worst. That didn’t exactly fit the image of outlaws that he had been taught. 

“He was actually a nice guy,” Ted told Deacon. This caused his brother to get even more curious, asking who he was and what they did together. Ted never brushed off Deacon because he knew what it was like to be ignored for being ‘too curious’, even if whenever Deacon asked questions he was praised for being inquisitive while Ted got called an annoyance. He answered everything Deacon asked until his little brother ran out of steam, and went to his room to do whatever he did when he wasn’t around Ted. 

Ted also went to his room and watched as the sun made its way down the horizon. He longed for Bill’s company again. He didn’t want to be at home anymore, anxiously waiting for his dad’s arrival, getting yelled at, and always staring at a face that only held contempt for him. 

Ted curled up on his bed, head under his pillow, and he fell into a light sleep. Waking up what had to be every half hour, his short dreams were always of Bill. He would be sitting with Ted and joking around, or glaring at someone who made Ted upset, and in one he whisked Ted away from everything bad. 

Ted didn’t fully wake up until Sheriff Logan knocked his pillow off his face. Ted sat straight up, the shock eliminating any grogginess his body would normally feel. 

“I don’t know what you were trying to pull earlier,” Sheriff Logan didn’t yell a lot in his own home. His sons knew he was the authority figure, he had nothing to prove, and they always listened to him even when he spoke in that cold, quiet voice. But he was yelling now. “But you can forget about dinner, and you can forget about even _leaving this goddamn house_ because you’re not allowed to go anywhere unless I say so!” 

Ted had a new feeling swirling around in his gut that he didn’t know all too well, but a voice in the back of his head called it _injustice_. 

His dad yelled at him some more, calling him the usual names, all while Ted stayed silent as always. Sheriff Logan left by slamming Ted’s door closed behind him. 

Ted huffed and stared out the window. It was dusk now, the stars visible in a dark blue sky tinted with orange. He thought about Bill, who he couldn’t seem to get out of his head. 

The sun had just dipped below the horizon when Ted saw Bill walking around his house. Ted’s heart picked up the pace and he opened his window. "Bill," he whispered out. 

Bill turned with a smile. “Hey," he rested his elbows on the windowsill. "I didn't know which window was yours." 

Seeing Bill again made Ted forget why he was so scared in the first place. 

“I'm sorry about being weird earlier,” Ted said. “I didn’t know you were with Billy the Kid. It was a surprise.” 

“Oh," Bill said. "No reason to be sorry for that." 

Ted had never been told _not_ to apologize. 

Bill flicked his eyes around before asking, “Can I come in?” 

Ted nodded and helped Bill squeeze through his window, trying to hide his giggle as Bill awkwardly landed onto Ted’s bed and had to upright himself. 

Ted always imagined outlaws as mean and gruff. He never saw them as sweet, never saw himself wanting to follow one willingly. And he would, really would, follow Bill to the end of the earth. He wanted to be near those golden sunshine curls for the rest of his life. 

Bill sat across from Ted and reached out. Ted gently grabbed onto Bill's hand, rubbing his thumb over his warm skin. 

"I couldn't stop thinking about you," Bill whispered out. "I nearly tripped on my own two feet. Billy tells me I'm lovesick."

Ted’s chest was feeling all fuzzy. “I couldn't stop thinking about you too." 

"Yeah?" 

"Yeah," Ted loved the coziness of being with Bill like this, but he remembered the offer Bill had made earlier. "You mentioned a fire before?" 

Bill squeezed Ted's hand. "Let's go." 

Bill led Ted a little way out of town, where Billy the Kid had started a fire next to the two horses and probably stolen carriage. Ted's legs would have buckled at the idea of meeting Billy the Kid, but Bill's hand in his made him feel sturdy. 

"Billy's really nice," Bill said as though he had read Ted's mind. "He'll like you." 

Billy the Kid _was_ really nice, Ted found when he met him. He had greeted Ted with a tip of his hat and handed him a plate of the food he had been cooking over the fire. "So you're the guy Bill's been crazy about," he said. 

Bill said "He sure is, Mr. The Kid," just as Ted went, "Thanks, Mr. The Kid." 

Billy looked a little weirded out. "Gee, you boys sure have a funny way of addressing me." 

The three all sat around the crackling fire, embers flying up to disappear in the night sky. The food was really good, and Ted shoveled it in his mouth, as did Bill. 

“Mr. The Kid?” Ted asked in between bites. “I don’t mean to sound rude, but how come my dad didn’t arrest you?” Everyone had always fretted about him needing to be caught, and yet he was right there and nobody did anything. 

Bill snickered. “Billy scared him. Your dad went hiding like everybody else.” 

Ted thought about the quiver in his dad’s hand and supposed it was true. He felt a bit guilty, but Ted rested well in the fact that his dad wasn’t the fearless tough guy he had always been scared into believing. 

Billy stared into the fire. “People like your old man only pick on the little guys. Safer for him if he doesn’t mess with me,” he took a bite of his food. “He said if I wasn’t gone by morning he would arrest me though, so we’ll see.” 

Bill rolled his eyes. “He’s bluffing.” 

Sheriff Logan was a man of his word, but his dad did say the night before that he would arrest Billy and he didn’t. Ted’s image of his father shattered some more. 

Thinking of last night’s dinner made Ted want to ask something else. “Is it true you’ve escaped from prison? My brother said you have fifteen times.” 

Billy’s eyes went wide. “Fifteen? Nah, just once.” 

“He also told me you killed all the guards.”

“Only two,” Billy said. “I must be something of a legend.” 

"You sorta are," Ted nudged Bill. "They talk about you too, Bill. They didn't know your name, though." 

"Shut up, Ted," Bill joked.

Ted laughed, and he couldn't remember when he had ever been this comfortable around other people. He didn't have that tight feeling in his chest, and he talked all he wanted without worry while they ate. Ted wished every night could be like this. 

Once Bill and Ted finished their food, Billy took their empty plates to put them away and grabbed something out of the carriage, returning with two guitars and a harmonica, handing a guitar to Bill and keeping the harmonica for himself. 

“Here, kid,” Billy the Kid handed Ted the other guitar. It wasn’t as well made as the one he had at home, but it still felt good to have in his hands. 

He gently played at the strings to make sure he wasn’t louder than the other two. Bill and Billy the Kid were both much better at this than he was. 

Bill must have noticed Ted’s shy picking at the strings. “Come on, Ted, whatcha got?” 

Billy the Kid looked up without stopping his playing. 

“I’m, uh, not very good at it,” Ted looked at his hands. 

“Need a lesson?” Bill scooted in close with a wide grin. 

“Oh, sure.” 

Bill got up and kneeled behind Ted, pressing against his back and bringing his hands over Ted’s. Ted’s face got warmer as Bill guided his hands along the strings and quietly breathed into Ted’s ear all about how a guitar worked, what strings played what notes, how to tune it properly. Ted didn’t stop him even when he was telling him something he already knew, too distracted with how Bill felt against him. 

Ted stole a glance at Billy the Kid. He was pretending not to notice the moment, tilting his hat down to cover his eyes, but he had started playing a much gentler, softer tune. 

Ted turned his head to Bill. Their heads were nearly touching, and they were just an inch apart when Bill looked at him back. His gaze lingered on Ted’s lips before bringing it back up to his eyes, and Bill’s eyes were unlike any Ted had ever seen. Little pools of the most beautiful color in the world. 

“Got it?” Bill’s breath was warm against Ted’s face. 

Ted gave a small nod. He wanted to latch onto Bill as he parted from Ted with a hug and went back to his own guitar. They all stayed like that for a while, gently playing music, and Ted swore he was floating up in the sky. 

"I think I'm gonna turn in," Billy the Kid said after a bit. As he climbed into the carriage, he turned towards Bill. "Don't get in any trouble," he said with a wink. 

Bill winked back, and Billy went to lay down. 

Bill put a hand on Ted’s shoulder. "Wanna look at the stars?" 

Of course Ted did, so they both laid on the ground. Ted with his hands on his chest, Bill right beside him with an arm tucked behind his head. 

“It’s really nice out,” Bill said. 

Ted was in awe of the night sky. The black expanse with hints of purple, the twinkling stars and glowing moon. “Yeah.” 

“I never really looked at the sky until I hitched up with Billy.” 

“Can I ask a question?" 

"Of course." 

"How did you end up with Billy?" Ted wanted to know how someone as nice as Bill got wrapped up into being an outlaw. 

"I caught him stealing a horse at a ranch near where I lived,” Bill said. “I could have told somebody, but I had a feeling in my gut not to. He offered to take me in, and something about it made sense, so I went with him. He's like the big brother I never had, in a way." 

_Something about it made sense_. Ted knew exactly what he was talking about. 

"Your turn," Bill said. 

"Huh?" 

"Tell me something about _you_ ," Bill gave a playful jab at Ted's shoulder.

"Oh," Ted didn't know what to say. His life wasn't interesting, and the more he thought about it, the more depressing it all seemed. “Nobody really likes me at home. I’ve always been a burden to everyone, I guess. I try not to let it bother me, but it does. A lot.” Ted had never talked about it before. It was nice to get out.

“That is a most unfortunate attitude for them to have,” Bill said. “You’re amazing.” 

Ted’s chest pulsed with happiness. 

“Billy and me like you a lot, Ted. Forget about those duds.” 

“Can I say something that’s possibly egregious?” 

“Shoot.” 

Ted stared into Bill's eyes because he swore he could see his soul behind them, a little twinkle that made Ted think of when his mom would cup his cheeks and tell him about the _mischievous little twinkle_ that shone in his own brown eyes. "I think I've been waiting for you my whole life." 

Bill was looking at Ted with everything he needed to say written clearly on his face. Ted knew him just as much as he knew himself, and nothing was awkward in the silence between them, only a mutual understanding of another. And when they both looked back up at the stars at the same time, Ted had a passing thought that they must be the two halves to the same fallen star. 

Bill gasped. “Shooting star!” He pointed at a white streak through the sky. 

“No way!” 

“Yes way, Ted!” Bill scrambled to sit up. He leaned over Ted with a wide smile plastered on his face. “Make a wish!” 

Ted knew what he wanted. It was a simple wish, but it meant everything.

“What’d you wish for?” Bill tilted his head. 

“Can’t say,” Ted shrugged with a sly smile. 

“Can I guess?” Bill leaned a little closer. 

“Absolutely.” 

Bill slowly moved towards Ted, and he licked over his lips before connecting them to Ted’s. There was so much Ted could say, but all he did was open his mouth a little to let Bill know that this was exactly what he wished for. 

Of course Bill knew. How could he not? 

Ted woke up with his arms wrapped around Bill, and Bill’s wrapped around him. Bill’s curls were rested below Ted’s chin, and Ted ran a hand through them. Bill made a muffled groan and snuggled deeper into Ted’s chest. Ted wanted to hold him like this all day, but they had to get up. 

Billy the Kid was preparing the horses to leave when Bill and Ted made their way over to him. “You headin’ home?” he asked Ted. 

The question was natural, but it still sent a little shock through Ted. The image of him going back to an unloving father and uncaring town made him shiver. He didn’t hesitate when he said, “I wanna stay with you guys.” 

“Alright!” Bill stopped rubbing the sleep out of his eyes to put Ted in a bear hug. 

Billy smiled warmly at Bill and his eyes glossed over him and Ted. “Welcome to the party, Ted.” 

Ted's strong sense of optimism was interrupted by a gunshot in the distance. 

All three of them jumped and Billy the Kid shouted, "Oh shit!" 

Bill hopped into the carriage, letting Billy drive, and helped Ted up into it. Bill peeked out of the door as the horses started pulling them away, and shot at the men, knocking one off his horse. 

There were four left, and Ted recognized the man in the lead as his own father, who looked like he was trying to aim directly at Billy's head. 

"Give me that!" Ted reached to grab the gun from Bill, who handed it over with a raised eyebrow. 

Ted was supposed to be the next sheriff when Sheriff Logan retired. He spent days trying to mold Ted into the perfect son, only to give up when Deacon was born because Ted was turning out to be a disappointment and now he had another son to put all his hopes into. But before Deacon was born, Sheriff Logan spent hours teaching Ted how to shoot. He was a slow learner and that meant long days of being told he would amount to nothing, but it also meant he had actually grown to be a pretty good shot. 

Ted leaned out of the carriage, making sure his dad would know it was him, and took his time to aim precisely where he wanted before pulling the trigger. 

The bullet knocked his dad’s hat off, narrowly missing his head. It was a warning shot, and Sheriff Logan did the smart thing by stopping himself and his remaining men from continuing their pursuit, knowing exactly where the next bullet could go. 

Ted went fully back into the carriage and Bill let out a breathless, "Woah." 

Ted grinned, twirling the gun in his hand before giving it back to Bill, who looked starstruck. 

"I wanna kiss you so bad," was all else Bill could say. 

Ted did the honors, cupping Bill's face in his hands as he kissed him. He pulled Bill in closer to him, for the first time in his life feeling whole, as they rode off into the sunset together.

**Author's Note:**

> I had a lot of fun writing old west Bill and Ted, and I'm thinking of writing a sequel :) comments and kudos are all appreciated and thank you for reading!


End file.
